Miniature patch-type intelligent control infusion device

ABSTRACT

A miniature patch-type control infusion device includes an infusion unit ( 102 ). The infusion unit ( 102 ) comprises a drug storage unit(s) ( 100 ), a metal piece ( 110 ), a piston(s) ( 120 ), a rigid screw(s) ( 130 ), a rotating shaft ( 160 ), a driving unit(s) ( 150 ), a driving wheel(s) ( 140 ) provided with wheel teeth ( 141 ), a power unit(s) ( 180 ) and a rebound unit(s) ( 170 ). The driving unit ( 150 ) includes at least two driving portions ( 151   a,    151   b ). The driving unit ( 150 ) can rotate around the rotating shaft ( 160 ) in the driving direction and the returning direction. The power unit ( 180 ) and the rebound unit ( 170 ) cooperate with each other to apply force to the driving unit ( 150 ) to rotate the driving unit ( 150 ). The infusion device also includes a position detector(s) ( 190 ), the metal piece ( 110 ) and the position detector(s) ( 190 ) interact to generate signals. Using this infusion device, patients will have more infusion rate options, which increase the flexibility of controlling drug infusion.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention mainly relates to the field of medical instruments, in particular to a miniature patch-type intelligent control infusion device.

BACKGROUND

A drug infusion device can continuously deliver drug into a patient's body for disease treatment. Drug infusion devices are widely used in the field of diabetes treatment, which continuously infuse required dosage of insulin into the patient's subcutaneous tissue, thereby simulating the secretion function of the pancreas to keep the blood glucose stable. The drug fluid is usually stored inside the infusion pump. The existing drug infusion device, controlled by remote device, is usually attached directly on the patient's skin through a medical adhesive tape.

The existing infusion device currently has only one infusion rate, and the infusion process cannot be flexibly controlled with lower infusion efficiency. And the infusion unit amount is relatively large, which increases the fluctuation of the patient's body fluid levels and which cannot achieve the purpose of accurately controlling the body fluid level.

Therefore, the prior art urgently needs a miniature patch-type intelligent control infusion device capable of flexibly controlling a drug infusion process and improving drug infusion efficiency.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The embodiment of the invention discloses a miniature patch-type intelligent control infusion device. One driving unit is provided with at least two driving portions, equipping the infusion device with multiple infusion rates and improving the flexibility of infusion pattern selection.

This invention discloses a miniature patch-type intelligent control infusion device, which includes an infusion unit, the infusion unit includes drug storage unit(s), metal piece, piston(s) and rigid screw(s), the piston is arranged in the drug storage unit, the metal piece, fixedly connected to a rigid screw, is arranged on the piston; rotating shaft, driving unit(s) and driving wheel(s) provided with wheel teeth, the driving unit includes at least two driving portions, the driving unit can rotate around the rotating shaft in the driving direction and the returning direction, when rotating in the driving direction, one driving portion of the driving unit pushes the wheel teeth to rotate the driving wheel which engages the rigid screw to move forward in a non-rotating way, when rotating in the returning direction, all driving portions of the driving unit slide synchronously on the surface of the wheel teeth; and power unit(s) and rebound unit(s), the power unit and the rebound unit cooperate with each other to apply force to the driving unit to rotate the driving unit; position detector(s), the metal piece and the position detector interact to generate signal(s); a program unit, the program unit is connected to the infusion unit, it can convert received signal(s) into the piston position information and can select a specific driving portion to push the driving wheel according to requirements to adjust infusion rate; infusion needle(s), one end of the infusion needle is in communication with the outlet of the drug storage unit, and the other end pierces the skin to achieve drug infusion; and adhesive patch, the adhesive patch can attach the infusion unit or the program unit to the skin surface.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the rigid screw is a metal screw, and the metal piece is electrically connected with the metal screw, so that the metal piece and the corresponding position detector constitute a capacitor, and the linear movement of the metal piece causes a change in capacitance making the corresponding position detector generate an electrical signal.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the metal piece is a magnetic metal piece, and the position detectors are magnetic induction detectors, the linear movement of the magnetic metal piece causes a change in the magnetic field around each position detector making each position detector generate a magnetic signal.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the infusion unit further includes a clutch structure movably disposed on the driving wheel, the rigid screw passes through the clutch structure, and the clutch structure is provided with an internal thread that cooperates with the rigid screw, the driving wheel drives the clutch structure to rotate which, with the internal thread, pushes the rigid screw to move forward in a non-rotating way.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the infusion unit further includes blocking wall(s), and the driving unit stops rotating upon contacting the blocking wall.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the vertical projections of the front ends of any two driving portions on the driving unit do not coincide.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the number of driving portions provided on one driving unit is n (n≥2), if the distance, in pushing direction, between the vertical projections of the front ends of any two adjacent driving portions which cooperate with the same driving wheel is t, and the wheel tooth pitch is T, then t=T/n.

According to one aspect of the present invention, one driving unit provided with two driving portions and two driving wheels are provided in the infusion unit, the two driving wheels are fixedly connected to realize synchronous rotation, the two driving portions are respectively matched with the two driving wheels, the wheels are arranged on the same side of the rotating shaft, and the teeth of the two driving wheels are staggered.

According to one aspect of the present invention, one driving unit is provided with two driving portions, and the two driving portions are matched with the same driving wheel, if the distance, in pushing direction, between the vertical projections of the front ends of the two adjacent driving portions is t₁, and the tooth pitch is T, then t₁=3T/2.

Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of the present invention has the following advantages:

In the miniature patch-type intelligent control infusion device disclosed in the present invention, one driving unit includes at least two driving portions, and the driving unit can rotate in the driving direction and the returning direction around the rotating shaft, when rotating in the driving direction, one driving portion of the driving unit pushes the wheel teeth to rotate the driving wheel which engages the rigid screw to move forward in a non-rotating way, when rotating in the returning direction, all the driving portions of the driving unit slide synchronously on the surface of the wheel teeth. When the driving unit is provided with two or more driving portions, after rotating in the returning direction by less than one tooth pitch, the driving unit will be ready for the next driving. The miniature patch-type intelligent control infusion device reduces the unit amount (or the infusion increment) of drug infused per single driving. In addition, the program unit can intelligently select a specific driving portion to push the wheel according to requirements to adjust infusion rate. The unit amount of drug infused per driving changes with the selection of driving portion to push the wheel teeth, resulting in different infusion rates. Therefore, patients also have more infusion rate options, which increases the flexibility of controlling drug infusion.

Furthermore, the rigid screw of the miniature patch-type intelligent control infusion device moves linearly in a non-rotating way. After the rigid screw is fixedly connected to the metal piece, the metal piece also moves linearly in a non-rotating way, so that position signal(s) only need to be detected in the one-dimensional axial direction or the two-dimensional plane (determined by the moving direction of the screw and a detector), simplifying the detection method and reducing the design and production cost.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1a is a schematic structural diagram of a separate design of a program unit and an infusion unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1b is a schematic structural diagram of an integrated design of a program unit and an infusion unit according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an infusion unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3a -FIG. 3b are schematic structural diagrams of a driving portion pushing a wheel tooth under different perspectives according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4a -FIG. 4b are schematic diagrams of the clutch structure under different perspectives according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a metal piece and a position detector according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a driving portion pushing a wheel tooth according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a metal piece and a position detector according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8a is a schematic structural diagram of a driving unit pushing a wheel tooth according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8b is a schematic structural diagram of staggered teeth of two driving wheels according to still another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of three driving portions pushing wheel teeth according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As mentioned above, the prior art infusion devices have lower infusion accuracy, and the infusion rate is fixed and un-adjustable.

It is found through research that the cause of the above problems is that the unit amount of drug infused per single driving is relatively large, and only one driving method is available resulting in fixed unit amount of drug.

In order to solve the problem, the present invention provides a miniature patch-type intelligent control infusion device. The driving unit includes at least two driving portions, and the driving unit can implement the next driving after rotating in the returning direction by less than one tooth pitch, which reduces infusion increment. More infusion rate options are available for the patients, which increases the flexibility in controlling drug infusion.

Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The relative arrangement of the components and the steps, numerical expressions and numerical values set forth in the embodiments are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

In addition, it should be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various components shown in the figures are not necessarily drawn in the actual scale relationship, for example, the thickness, width, length or distance of certain units may be exaggerated relative to other structures.

The following description of the exemplary embodiments is merely illustrative, and is not intended to be in any way limiting the invention and its application or use. The techniques, methods and devices that are known to those of ordinary skill in the art may not be discussed in detail, but such techniques, methods and devices should be considered as part of the specification.

It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters indicate similar items in the following figures. Therefore, once an item is defined or illustrated in a drawing, it will not be discussed further in following description of the drawings.

The First Embodiment

FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b are schematic top structural diagrams of a miniature patch-type intelligent control infusion device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The miniature patch-type intelligent control infusion device includes an adhesive patch 100, program unit 101, infusion unit 102 and infusion needle 103.

The program unit 101 is used for controlling drug infusion, controlling power output of the power unit, receiving signals from position detector(s), establishing wireless communication with remote devices, and the like. In the embodiment of the present invention, the program unit 101 can also select different driving portions to push the wheel teeth to achieve different infusion rates, which will be described in detail below.

The infusion unit 102 includes various units for realizing the mechanical function for drug infusion, which will be described in detail below.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the program unit 101 and the infusion unit 102 are designed separately and connected by a waterproof plug. The program unit 101 can be reused, while the infusion unit 102 can be discarded after a single use. In another embodiment of the present invention, the infusion unit 102 and the program unit 101 are disposed inside the same housing 10 and connected by a wire, which both units will be discarded together after a single use, as shown in FIG. 1 b.

The adhesive patch 100 is used to attach the infusion unit 102 or the program unit 101, or both of them to the skin surface as a whole.

One end of the infusion needle 103 is connected to the outlet of the drug storage unit, while the other end pierces the skin to infuse the drug subcutaneously. In the embodiment of the present invention, the infusion needle 103 is disposed at one end of the infusion unit 102. In other embodiments of the present invention, the infusion needle 103 may be disposed at other positions according to its functions or structural features of the device, such as being disposed at the middle portion of the device, which is not specifically limited herein. The infusion needle 103 is a rigid infusion needle or a flexible infusion needle, or designed according to its different positions and functions, the design of infusion needle 103 can also adopt a combination of rigid infusion needle(s) and flexible infusion needle(s), which is not specifically limited herein. Preferably, in the embodiment of the present invention, the infusion needle 103 is a rigid infusion needle.

Please refer to FIG. 2, FIG. 3a and FIG. 3b . FIG. 2 is a schematic main structural diagram of an infusion unit 102 of a miniature patch-type intelligent control infusion device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3a to FIG. 3b are schematic structural diagrams of the driving portions 151 a and 151 b pushing the wheel teeth 141 in FIG. 2. And FIG. 3b is a left side view of the structure of FIG. 3 a.

The internal structure of the infusion unit 102 mainly includes the drug storage unit 100, the piston 120, the rigid screw 130, the driving wheel 140, the driving unit 150, the rotating shaft 160, the rebound unit 170 and the power unit 180.

The drug storage unit 100 is used for storing liquid drug. Drugs include, but are not limited to, insulin, glucagon, antibiotics, nutrient solutions, analgesics, morphine, anticoagulants, gene therapy drugs, cardiovascular drugs or chemotherapy drugs, etc.

The piston 120 is used to infuse liquid drug into the body.

The rigid screw 130 is connected to the piston 120 and the driving wheel 140, respectively. In the embodiment of the present invention, the driving wheel 140 advances the rigid screw 130 forward by screwing, the rigid screw 130 then forces the piston 120, arranged in the drug storage unit 100, to move forward, so as to achieve the purpose of drug infusion.

The peripheral surface of the driving wheel 140 is provided with wheel teeth 141. The wheel teeth 141 are gear teeth or ratchet teeth. Specifically, in the embodiment of the present invention, for improving driving efficiency, the wheel teeth 141 are ratchet teeth which can be pushed more easily.

The driving unit 150 is movably connected to the rotating shaft 160, and is also connected to the power unit 180 and the rebound unit 170, respectively. The power unit 180 and the rebound unit 170 cooperate with each other to cause the driving unit 150 to rotate reciprocally in a driving direction and a returning direction around the rotating shaft 160. Here, the driving direction refers to the counter-clockwise direction in FIG. 3a , and the returning direction refers to the clockwise direction in FIG. 3a . The driving direction and returning direction of the driving unit hereinafter are the same as here. When the driving unit 150 performs one reciprocal rotation, the driving wheel 140 drives the rigid screw 130 forward by one step, and pushes the piston 120 to complete one unit of drug infusion.

One end of the driving unit 150 is provided with at least two driving portions for pushing the wheel teeth 141, thereby rotating the driving wheels 140. Specifically, in the embodiment of the present invention, the driving unit 150 includes two driving portions 151 a and 151 b. In the perspective of FIG. 3a , the driving portion 151 b (shown as a dotted line) is covered by the driving portion 151 a. In the perspective of FIG. 3b , according to the structure and position characteristics, the projections of different driving portions may not be parallel.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the rebound unit 170 is a spring. In other embodiments of the present invention, the rebound unit 170 can also be an elastic piece, an elastic plate, an elastic rod, etc. The type and material selection of the rebound unit 170 are not specifically limited herein, as long as it can satisfy the condition of making the driving unit 150 rotate in the return direction.

The power unit 180 is a linear actuator. In the embodiment of the present invention, the power unit 180 is an electrically driven linear actuator or an electrically heated linear actuator. By alternately turning on and off, the power unit 180 outputs power in pulses. In other embodiments of the present invention, the power unit 180 may be other types, eg. mini-airbag, etc.

As shown in FIG. 3a , in the embodiment of the present invention, two driving portions 151 a and 151 b cooperate with the same driving wheel 140. Here, the cooperation means that the driving portions can push the wheel teeth 141 to rotate the driving wheel 140 or that all the driving portions slide synchronously on the surface of the wheel teeth 141 to stop the driving wheel 140 from rotating. When the power unit 180 pulls the driving unit 150 with force F_(P), the driving unit 150 rotates in the driving direction around the rotating shaft 160, driving the driving portion 151 a to push the wheel teeth 141 and rotate the driving wheel 140 which then engages the rigid screw 130 in the D_(A) direction. At this time, the rebound unit 170 generates a gradually increasing elastic force F_(R). When the power unit 180 stops providing power and under the action of the elastic force F_(R), the driving unit 150 rotates around the rotating shaft 160 in the returning direction. At this time, the driving portion 151 a stops pushing the wheel teeth 141 and the driving wheel 140 stops rotating. The driving portions 151 a and 151 b slide on the surface of the wheel teeth 141 synchronously until sliding to the next driving position, in which way the driving unit 150 completes one reciprocal rotation.

It should be noted here that in order to minimize the impact of manufacturing tolerances and ensure that the wheel teeth 141 can be pushed during each reciprocal rotation for infusion safety, after the driving portion 151 slides to the next driving position, the driving unit 150 can be further rotated clockwise by an appropriate distance to move the driving portion 151 slightly away from the driving position.

In the embodiment of the present invention, when two or more driving portions are matched with the same driving wheel, the vertical projections of the front ends of any two adjacent ones of these driving portions do not coincide. Here, the vertical projection misalignment means that the front ends (as shown in FIG. 3b ) of any two adjacent driving portions have a certain distance tin the pushing direction, as shown in the FIG.s. When the number of the driving portions provided on the driving unit is n, if the tooth pitch of the wheel teeth is T, then t=T/n. In this case, after the completion of one pushing, the driving unit rotates in the returning direction, and all the drive portions need only slide 1/n distance of one tooth pitch to reach the next drive position and push again. Compared with a driving unit equipped with only one driving portion, the miniature patch-type intelligent control infusion device, according to the embodiment of the present invention, reduces the unit amount of drug infused per single driving and improves the infusion accuracy of the drug infusion. Patients or the program unit can control the drug infusion more accurately and precisely to stabilize body fluid levels. At the same time, patients will be able to adjust the infusion rate by changing the unit amount of drug infused per single driving, which is made possible by choosing different driving portions to drive the wheel teeth according to the infusion requirements

Specifically, in the embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the vertical projections of the front ends of the two driving portions 151 a and 151 b in the pushing direction is t₁, the tooth pitch of the wheel teeth 141 is T, and t₁=T/2. After the driving portion 151 a pushes the wheel teeth 141 once and slides only ½ the distance of the tooth pitch in the returning direction, the driving portion 151 b can slide to the driving position of the next wheel tooth 141 and can start next pushing. Therefore, compared with a driving unit equipped with only one driving portion, the unit amount of drug infused per single driving is halved with the improvement of infusion accuracy, and the patient can control the drug infusion rate more precisely. At the same time, the program unit can control the infusion device to use only the driving portion 151 a to drive, or only the driving portion 151 b to drive, or both the driving portions 151 a and 151 b to alternately push the wheel teeth 141. Since the unit amount of drug infused per single driving in different driving modes is different, the infusion device can offer different drug infusion rates.

For example, in the beginning of drug infusion, the patient can choose to drive the wheel teeth 141 using only one driving portion—either the driving portion 151 a or 151 b—to set a higher infusion rate and save infusion time. When the infusion is nearly complete, the patient can choose to use both driving portions 151 a and 151 b to alternately push the wheel teeth 141, which would halve the infusion rate. This infusion method can make the terminal infusion rate more stable and reduce the fluctuation of the patient's body fluid levels. Obviously, patients can also switch between high-rate and low-rate infusion during one infusion process.

In another embodiment of the present invention, t₁=3T/2, which can also satisfy the infusion conditions described above. In other embodiments of the present invention, it is not limited to t=T/n, as long as the vertical projections of the front ends of any two adjacent driving portions do not coincide, the purpose of improving the infusion accuracy can be achieved. And at the same time, the infusion device can offer multiple infusion rates.

In the embodiment of the present invention, blocking walls 171 and 172 that can stop the driving unit 150 from rotating are also provided. And an electrical signal may be triggered when the driving unit 150 contacts the blocking wall 171 or 172, allowing the program unit 101 to control the power output of the power unit 180. In another embodiment of the present invention, only the blocking wall 171 or only the blocking wall 172 may be provided, so that the driving unit 150 can stop rotating in either direction. Blocking wall(s) in combination with a time controller allow the program unit 101 to control the power output of the power unit 180. In another embodiment of the present invention, no blocking wall is provided, and the rotation of the driving unit 150 is completely controlled by a time controller in the program unit 101.

It should be noted that, the position of the blocking wall 171 or 172 is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present invention, as long as the condition that the driving unit 150 stops rotating can be satisfied.

FIG. 4a -FIG. 4b are schematic structural diagrams of a clutch structure 131 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4b is a schematic cross-sectional view of the clutch structure 131 taken along the line A-A′ in FIG. 4 a.

The embodiment of the present invention further includes a clutch structure 131. The clutch structure 131 is disposed at the central position of the driving wheel 140, and the rigid screw 130 passes through the clutch structure 131. The clutch structure 131 is provided with an internal thread matching the external thread of the rigid screw 130, as shown in FIG. 4b . During drug infusion, the driving wheel 140 drives the clutch structure to rotate synchronously, and the clutch structure advances the rigid screw 130 forward through the internal thread. Obviously, in the embodiment of the present invention, the rigid screw 130 only advances in its own axial direction without rotating. In another embodiment of the present invention, the driving wheel 140 has an internal thread, which can directly cooperate with the external thread of the rigid screw 130.

FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a metal piece 110 and a position detector 190 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The miniature patch-type intelligent control infusion device according to the embodiment of the present invention further includes one or more position detectors 190. The position detector 190 interacts with the metal piece 110 to detect the position of the metal piece 110, and thereby determine the position of the piston 120 to calculate the remaining amount of drug in the drug storage unit 100. Specifically, in the embodiment of the present invention, the metal piece 110 is a magnetic metal piece, and the position detector 190 is magnetic position detector. When the metal piece 110 is located at a certain position, the location of every position detector 190 has a certain magnetic field size and direction, allowing the position of the piston 120 to be accurately detected. When the piston 120 is moving, the magnitude and direction of the magnetic field at the location of every position detector 190 changes accordingly, in which way the position of the piston 120 is detected in real time. The position detector 190 sends magnetic signal(s) or magnetic signal change to the program unit 101. After processed, the signal is converted into position information of the piston 120, which is then used to calculate the remaining drug amount.

According to the specifications of the drug storage unit 100, the number of the position detectors 190 can be one, two or more. Specifically, in the embodiment of the present invention, the number of the position detectors 190 is seven. In another embodiment of the present invention, the number of the position detectors 190 is two. In still another embodiment of the present invention, only one position detector 190 is provided.

It should be noted that when there are more than two position detectors 190, preferably, the position detectors 190 are linearly and equally spaced. The position detector 190 can be disposed in the infusion unit 102, or at a position, corresponding to the changing position of the piston 120, in the program unit 101, or embedded in the side wall of the drug storage unit 100, or located on the inner surface of the drug storage unit 100. The position detectors 190 may also be arranged in other ways, which are not specifically limited herein, as long as the conditions for detecting the position of the piston 120 can be satisfied.

As previously mentioned, the rigid screw 130 only moves along its own axial direction without rotating. Therefore, the metal piece 110, embedded in the piston 120 and fixedly connected to the rigid screw 130, can also be advanced non-rotating only along the axial direction of the rigid screw 130. Compared with detecting position with a rotating screw, the embodiment of the present invention only detects magnetic field signal(s) in one-dimensional axial direction or two-dimensional plane (determined by the moving direction of the screw and a detector). The detecting principle, the operation and structural design are much simpler, and the position information is more accurate, reducing the cost of design and production.

The Second Embodiment

FIG. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of the driving portions 251 a and 251 b pushing the wheel teeth 241 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that the two driving portions 251 a and 251 b of the driving unit 250 are staggered. In the vertical direction, the driving portion 251 b is not completely covered by the driving portion 251 a (compared to the first embodiment). The driving wheel 250 is appropriately widened to ensure that both driving portions 251 a and 251 b can complete the pushing. In the embodiment of the present invention, t₂=T/2. The other structural relationships and driving principles are consistent with the first embodiment, and are not repeated herein.

FIG. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of metal piece 210 and position detector 290 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the rigid screw 230 is made of metallic material. The metal piece 210 is fixedly and electrically connected to the rigid screw 230. At a certain position, the metal piece 210 and a corresponding position detector 290 will form a capacitor to generate electrical signal(s). When the piston 220 moves, the capacitance changes with the area of the electrode plate, and the corresponding position detector 290 generates a changed electrical signal to accurately detect the position of the piston 220. The corresponding position detector 290 transmits the electrical signal to the program unit to be converted to the position information of the piston 220. And then the program unit outputs the remaining drug amount. Specifically, in the embodiment of the present invention, for accurate position detection, a plurality of position detectors 290 are provided, and the setting manner thereof is as described above.

The Third Embodiment

FIG. 8a to FIG. 8b are schematic structural diagrams of the driving portions 351 a and 351 b pushing the wheel teeth 341 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8b is a left side view of the two driving wheels 340 a and 340 b in FIG. 8a . The embodiment of the present invention is different from the foresaid embodiments in that the two driving portions 351 a and 351 b on one driving unit 350 are respectively matched with different driving wheels 340 a and 340 b. And the driving wheels 340 a and 340 b are fixedly connected and can move synchronously.

As shown in FIG. 8a , in the embodiment of the present invention, two driving wheels 340 a and 340 b are provided. And the driving wheel 340 a and the driving wheel 340 b are both located on the same side of the rotating shaft 360. The projections of the front ends of the two driving portions 351 a and 351 b in the vertical direction do not coincide. Similarly, when the driving unit 350 rotates in the driving direction, the driving portion 351 a pushes the wheel teeth 341 a or the driving portion 351 b pushes the wheel teeth 341 b, so that the two driving wheels are synchronously rotated, and the rigid screw 330 is advanced forward.

In the embodiment of the present invention, in order to enable the two driving portions to push alternately, the wheel teeth 341 a and 341 b of the two driving wheels 340 a and 340 b are staggered, and the distance between two staggered wheel teeth is h. The distance h can be set according to the rotation amplitude of the driving unit 350 and the width or pitch of the driving wheels 340 a and 340 b, which is not specifically limited herein. Preferably, h=T/2.

Similarly, as described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, the driving portions 351 a and 351 b are used to alternately push the wheel teeth, after the driving unit 350 completes one rotation in the driving direction, driving portions slide on the teeth surface by a distance smaller than one wheel tooth pitch in the returning direction before they can reach the next drive position and start the next push. Compared with only one driving portion, the miniature patch-type intelligent control infusion device of the embodiment of the present invention improves the infusion accuracy. The program unit or patients may select only the driving portion 351 a to drive, or only the driving portion 351 b to drive, or use both the driving portions 351 a and 351 b to alternately push the wheel teeth, so that the infusion device has different infusion rates.

It should be noted that, in other embodiments of the present invention, three or more driving portions may be provided to cooperate with corresponding driving wheels, respectively, and the working principle is similar to that described above. In addition, the front ends of the two driving portions may coincide or not according to the rotation amplitude of the driving unit 350, the width or pitch of the driving wheels 340 a and 340 b, and the distance h, which is not specifically limited herein.

The Fourth Embodiment

FIG. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a driving unit 450 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The difference from the foregoing embodiments is that the driving unit 450 is provided with three driving portions 451 a, 451 b, and 451 c. The three driving portions cooperate with the same driving wheel. The positional relationship of the three driving portions is similar to that described above.

In the embodiment of the present invention, if the wheel tooth pitch is T, then t₃=t₄=T/3. Compared with only one driving portion, when the three driving portions are used to push the wheel teeth in turn, the unit amount of drug infused per single driving is reduced by ⅔, that is, the infusion accuracy is tripled, which makes the drug infusion volume more accurate. The driving principle and other structural relationships are as described above, and are not repeated here.

Similarly, the program unit can intelligently select only one driving portion to push the wheel teeth, or select any two driving portions to alternately push the wheel teeth, or the three driving portions to push the wheel teeth in a sequential manner, and the infusion device will have more different infusion rates. For example, in the beginning of drug infusion, the patient or the program unit selects only one driving portion, e.g. the driving portion 451 a, to push the wheel teeth, resulting in the highest infusion rate and shorter infusion time. After the infusion has been performed for a period of time, the driving portion 451 b and the driving portion 451 c are selected to drive the wheel teeth in an alternating mode to perform a medium-rate infusion. Near the end of infusion, the three driving portions 451 a, 451 b, and 451 c are all used to sequentially push the wheel teeth in order to set the lowest infusion rate to achieve smoother drug infusion. Similarly, according to actual needs, patients or the program unit can switch freely among the above-mentioned different rates.

The driving unit according to other embodiments of the present invention may further include more than two driving portions. Or the infusion device includes more driving units. Different driving units are coaxially designed, or are arranged on both sides of one driving wheel to alternately drive the driving wheel to rotate, which is not specifically limited herein. Therefore, the infusion accuracy of the infusion device is further improved, and the patient's choice of the infusion rate is more flexible.

In summary, the present invention discloses a miniature patch-type intelligent control infusion device.

The driving unit is provided with at least two driving portions to reduce the unit amount of drug infused per single driving, that is, to improve the accuracy of drug infusion. The patient can use the program unit to select one or more driving portions to push the wheel teeth and select different rate modes for infusion. Using the infusion method of the embodiment of the present invention, not only can the patient accurately control the amount of drug infused, but also the infusion process can be precisely controlled, which improves the patient's flexibility in controlling the infusion process.

While the invention has been described in detail with reference to the specific embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the above embodiments may be modified without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims. 

1. A miniature patch-type intelligent control infusion device, comprising, an infusion unit, comprising: a drug storage unit, a metal piece, a piston and a rigid screw, wherein the piston is arranged in the drug storage unit; the metal piece, fixedly connected to the rigid screw, is arranged on the piston; a rotating shaft, a driving unit and at least one driving wheel provided with wheel teeth, wherein the driving unit includes at least two driving portions, the driving unit rotates around the rotating shaft in a driving direction and a returning direction, when rotating in the driving direction, one of the driving portions of the driving unit pushes the wheel teeth to rotate the driving wheel which engages the rigid screw to move forward in a non-rotating way, when rotating in the returning direction, all of the driving portions of the driving unit slide synchronously on a surface of the wheel teeth; and a power unit and a rebound unit, wherein the power unit and the rebound unit cooperate with each other to apply force to the driving unit to rotate the driving unit; at least one position detector, wherein the metal piece and the position detector interact to generate signals; a program unit, wherein the program unit is connected to the infusion unit, it converts received signals into a piston position information and selects a specific driving portion of the driving portions to push the driving wheel according to requirements to adjust infusion rate; an infusion needle, wherein one end of the infusion needle is in communication with an outlet of the drug storage unit, and the other end of the infusion needle pierces a skin surface to achieve drug infusion; and an adhesive patch, wherein the adhesive patch attaches the infusion unit or the program unit to the skin surface.
 2. A miniature patch-type intelligent control infusion device of claim 1, wherein the rigid screw is a metal screw, and the metal piece is electrically connected with the metal screw, so that the metal piece and the position detector constitute a capacitor, and an linear movement of the metal piece causes a change in capacitance making the position detector generate an electrical signal of the signals.
 3. A miniature patch-type intelligent control infusion device of claim 1, wherein the metal piece is a magnetic metal piece, the at least one position detector comprises position detectors, and each of the position detectors is magnetic induction detector, an linear movement of the magnetic metal piece causes a change in a magnetic field around each of the position detectors to make each of the position detectors generate a magnetic signal of the signals.
 4. A miniature patch-type intelligent control infusion device of claim 1, wherein the infusion unit further includes a clutch structure movably disposed on the driving wheel, the rigid screw passes through the clutch structure, and the clutch structure is provided with an internal thread that cooperates with the rigid screw, the driving wheel drives the clutch structure to rotate which, with the internal thread, pushes the rigid screw to move forward in a non-rotating way.
 5. A miniature patch-type intelligent control infusion device of claim 1, wherein the infusion unit further includes a blocking wall, and the driving unit stops rotating upon contacting the blocking wall.
 6. A miniature patch-type intelligent control infusion device of claim 1, wherein vertical projections of front ends of any two of the driving portions on the driving unit do not coincide.
 7. A miniature patch-type intelligent control infusion device of claim 6, wherein a number of the driving portions provided on the driving unit is n (n≥2), if the distance, in a pushing direction, between the vertical projections of the front ends of any two adjacent ones of the driving portions which cooperate with the driving wheel is t, and a wheel tooth pitch is T, then t=T/n.
 8. A miniature patch-type intelligent control infusion device of claim 6, wherein the at least one driving wheel comprises two driving wheels, the driving unit provided with the two driving portions and the two driving wheels are provided in the infusion unit, the two driving wheels are fixedly connected to realize synchronous rotation, the two driving portions are respectively matched with the two driving wheels, the driving wheels are arranged on a same side of the rotating shaft, and the wheel teeth of the two driving wheels are staggered.
 9. A miniature patch-type intelligent control infusion device of claim 6, wherein the driving unit is provided with the two driving portions, and the two driving portions are matched with the driving wheel, if the distance, in a pushing direction, between the vertical projections of the front ends of two adjacent ones of the driving portions is t₁, and a tooth pitch is T, then t₁=3T/2. 